U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kan.) – ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC) – has introduced legislation to improve the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC); Sen. Moran says it would create fair and commonsense processes for evaluating and assessing veterans who are dependent on a caregiver.
The Reinforcing Enhanced Support through Promoting Equity for Caregivers Today (RESPECT) Act would amend the PCAFC to make certain mental health professionals and neurological specialists participate in the evaluation and assessment process for veterans. Additionally, this bill would create an assessment waiver process for caregivers of veterans with chronic or degenerative conditions. The RESPECT Act would also make certain caregivers have access to valuable mental health resources in the community through the federal grant-making process.
"Our nation's veterans, who require a caregiver because of a mental health condition or brain injury, deserve an evaluation and assessment process equivalent to veterans that have suffered physical health conditions," said. Sen. Moran. "Receiving input from a veteran's previous health care providers and providing access to a thorough history of a veteran's treatment, will help the VA more quickly provide timely resources to our caregivers on the frontline."
